Technology certificate programs offer smart opportunities for students and professionals who are seeking to develop marketable IT skills quickly and at a minimum of cost. A certificate in information technology will not award a degree to the graduate but will provide students with fundamental and relevant skills in a short amount of time.
Students who earn a Certificate in Information Technology learn the many tools, methods, and techniques implemented when designing computer-based applications that are used in database development, computer programming, web technologies, or other multimedia options.
Earning a Certificate in Information Technology offers students these benefits –
- Specialized training often leads to more professional responsibilities and improved compensation packages.
- Specialized training that enhances a professional’s current skills and abilities.
- Specialized training is often preferred by potential employers, and some employers offer tuition assistance in support of their employees seeking to further their education.
Upon completion, Certificate in Information Technology students can often become specialists (and ultimately, leaders) in their respective fields as educators, researchers, or diagnosticians, among others.
It is noted that Certificate in Information Technology degree programs are available at many professional schools, colleges, and universities – on-campus or online. These IT certificates are available at the undergraduate level – with a focus on the more basic and fundamental concepts in information technology. Additionally, many Certificate in Information Technology degree programs are offered at the graduate level to help professionals hone their skills and building their portfolio of abilities.
Because of the width and breadth of available programs, the costs for these Certificate in Information Technology degree programs will vary greatly. Some programs may offer a 12-credit course online, while others may require upwards of 30 credits to earn the certificate. Certain Certificate in Information Technology degree programs may be completed in as little as three months, while others may require eighteen months of study.
Best 15 Programs for Certificate in Information Technology
1. Columbia Southern University (CSU)
Columbia Southern University offers an undergraduate certificate in information technology program that students can complete in less than one year. Classes for this information technology undergraduate certificate program include an introduction to data communications, web design and development, database design & implementation, and systems analysis and design, to name a few. Active duty military members are offered a tuition discount.
- Total Program Tuition Cost – $ 3,900
- Credit Units Required – 12 semester credits.
- Accreditation – DEAC
2. Kennesaw State University (KSU)
The Department of Information Technology, Kennesaw State University’s Information Technology Department, offers a graduate certificate in Information Technology Foundations. Kennesaw State University’s graduate certificate in information technology is available on-campus or through the university’s distance learning platform. Classes for this graduate certificate include software design and development, databases design, and web technologies and application development, among others.
- Total Program Tuition Cost – $ 4,596
- Credit Units Required –– 12 semester credits
- Accreditation – SACSCOC
3. Montgomery College (MC)
Montgomery College offers a certificate in information technology program that is designed for a career professional who wishes to increase their proficiency using a software application to manage people and businesses. Classes for this information technology certificate program include computer literacy, professional website development, and computer application, to name a few.
- Total Program Cost – $ 5,111 (Maryland State Resident)
- Credit Units Required –– 19 semester credits
- Accreditation – MSCHE
4. Villanova University (VU)
Villanova University’s Information Certificate in Information Systems Security Management can be completed entirely online. This certificate in information technology from Villanova University can help prepare students to prepare for the certification exam for CompTIA Security+. Villanova offers a military discount to those students who qualify. Classes include essentials of cybersecurity, mastering cybersecurity, and foundations of agile methodology, to name a few.
- Total Program Tuition Cost – $ 5,883 to $ 6,235 – depending on the exact curriculum chosen.
- Credit Units Required – 12 semester credits.
- Accreditation – MSCHE
5. New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT)
The College of Computing Sciences at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) offers a Certificate in Information Security that has been developed for data analysis professionals, and it can be completed entirely online. Students enrolled in NJIT’s certificate in information technology complete coursework in computer security auditing, transaction mining, cryptography & security, and network management/security, to name a few.
- Total Program Cost – $ 6,588 (state resident)
- Credit Units Required – 12 semester credits.
- Accreditation – MSCHE
6. The University of Massachusetts (UMass Online)
UMass Online offers a certificate in information technology program that provides students with a broad overview of information systems, with an opportunity to focus further among the related fields of database development, web technology, or computer programming, among others. Business Insider recognizes UMass among the most underrated colleges in the nation.
- Total Program Tuition Cost – $ 6,840
- Credit Units Required – 18 semester credits.
- Accreditation – NECHE
7. Penn State World Campus
Penn State World Campus offers an online certificate program that will give you the opportunity to interact with dedicated educators from one of the nation’s most respected research universities. These are the same faculty who teach on-campus courses in Penn State’s highly regarded IST programs.
- Tuition: $590/$632 per credit
- Credit Units Required –– 12 semester credits
- Accreditation – MSCHE
8. Citrus College (CC)
Located in Glendora, California, Citrus College offers a certificate in information technology that provides students an option to customize the program through elective choices. Classes for this Information Technology certificate include network and computer security, database principles using SQL, programming fundamentals, and technical mathematics, among others.
- Total Program Tuition Cost – $ 7,521.50 to $ 8,442.50
- Credit Units Required –– 24.5 to 27.5 semester credits
- Accreditation – SACSCOC
9. The University of Virginia (UVA Online)
The School of Continuing & Professional Studies at the University of Virginia (UVA) offers an Information Technology Certificate program with all coursework available through UVA’s distance learning platform. The University of Virginia’s certificate in information technology program is available as a full-time or part-time student and is finished, on average, in 1.5 years. Classes for this degree include the basics of web design, database management, and web application development, among others.
- Total Program Tuition Cost – $ 8,784
- Credit Units Required –– 18 semester credits
- Accreditation – SACSCOC
10. The University of Alaska at Fairbanks (UA Fairbanks)
The University of Alaska at Fairbanks (UA eCampus) offers an information technology specialist certificate that is available entirely through the University of Alaska’s eCampus. The University of Alaska’s certificate in information technology program provides a foundation for those looking to move into entry-level information technology jobs. The University of Alaska is recognized as a military-friendly school. Classes for this degree include server operating systems, computer and network security, and information technology support fundamentals, to name a few.
- Total Program Tuition Cost – $ 9,110
- Credit Units Required –– 30 semester credits
- Accreditation – NWCCU
11. Full Sail University (FSU)
Full Sail University offers an online Information Technology Certificate that is on the school’s Winter Park campus. Students enrolled in Full Sail University’s certificate in information technology program can complete the certificate in only seven months. Classes for the information technology certificate include networking technologies, computer operating systems, virtual computing, and introduction to information security, plus a portfolio project.
- Total Program Tuition Cost – $ 10,500
- Credit Units Required –– 20 semester credits
- Accreditation – ACICS
12. Dakota State University (DSU)
Dakota State University offers an Information Technology Graduate Certificate that is designed for non-IT professionals seeking to take on the information technology responsibilities or for an IT professional who wishes to advance their career through education. Students who complete Dakota State University’s certificate in information technology are prepared for careers as data modelers, mobile app developers, and web developers, to name a few.
- Total Program Tuition Cost – $10,537.50; $13,825.50 (non resident)
- Credit Units Required –– 9 semester credits
- Accreditation – HLC
13. The University of Alabama (UA Birmingham)
The Collat School of Business, located at the University of Alabama, offers an Information Technology Management certificate at the post-baccalaureate level that can be completed in only twelve months. The credits earned from this online certificate in information technology program from UA Birmingham can be applied toward one of the university’s top-ranked baccalaureate degree programs. Classes for this certificate program include leadership IT, technology planning and governance, and management, to name a few.
- Total Program Tuition Cost – $ 13,500 (state resident)
- Credit Units Required –– 30 semester credits
- Accreditation – SACSCOC & AACSB
14. Boston University (BU)
The Metropolitan College at Boston University offers a certificate in information technology that can be completed entirely through Boston University’s distance learning platform. BU’s graduate information technology certificate program is completed, on average, in eight to twelve months. US News recognizes BU’s graduate certificate in information technology among the top ten programs in the nation. Credits earned by completing this certificate program may be applied towards the school’s MS in Computer Information Systems Program.
- Total Program Tuition Cost – $ 14,800
- Credit Units Required – 16 semester credits.
- Accreditation – NECHE
15. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Sloan School (MIT) offers an Executive Certificate in Technology, Operations & Value Chain Management. MIT’s certificate in information technology program allows students to accelerate the program that can be finished in only one month. MIT offers a multiple program discount of up to 15% off tuition costs. Classes included in this certificate include managing a successful technology strategy and building and leading and innovative organizations, to name a few.
- Total Program Cost – $ 16,400
- Credit Units Required –– 12 semester credits
- Accreditation – NECHE
Our Ranking Methodology
The analysis above includes fifteen available certificate in information technology programs that are available both online and on-campus and from public and private institutions of higher education. These fifteen certificate in information technology programs represent some of the available programs throughout the nation and provide students with a comprehensive perspective as to the availability of certificate in information technology programs in their vicinity and online.
The total program tuition costs used in the above analysis represent the total tuition fees associated with each of the certificate in information technology programs listed. These total tuition certificate fees represent the latest costs as disclosed by each school or the NCES‘ College Navigator website. Current tuition is noted to be for 2020 to 2021 or 2019 to 2020.
The certificate in information technology programs include options at both the undergraduate and graduate level to provide potential students with a true representation of available programs. However, we also have an associate’s in information technology page and a Ph.D in information technology page.
The accreditation information has been included for each higher learning institution as it is essential for prospective students to understand who and how the certificate in information technology programs have been evaluated.
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